From drone flights to Marine's death, special probes turn sights on military

Korea Herald

6 days ago

South Korea's military leadership — including the former defense minister and senior commanders — has emerged as a central focus in two of three special counsel investigations currently underway.
The twin probes focus on alleged illegal drone operations over Pyongyang tied to former President Yoon Suk Yeol's suspected attempt to manufacture a justification for declaring martial law and the 2023 death of a young Marine, in which Yoon is accused of abusing his power to obstruct the initial investigation.
The special counsel team led by Cho Eun-suk is continuing its investigation into Yoon's alleged martial law scheme, focusing on Maj. Gen. Kim Yong-dae, head of the military's Drone Operations Command.
The probe stems from internal military testimony claiming that Yoon directly ordered Kim to carry out the Pyongyang drone operation, bypassing the official chain of command, including the Ministry of National Defense and Joint Chiefs of Staff.
The drone commander has been accused of fabricating an official document to conceal the drone operation over North Korea and ordering subordinates to send the drones without approval from the United Nations Command.
According to the special counsel team, military records reported the operation of two drones on Oct. 15, 2024. However, investigators found that only one drone was actually deployed, while the other was listed as lost.
The team suspects records were manipulated to make it appear that both drones flew on that day — concealing that one had already crashed in Pyongyang on Oct. 9, six days earlier.
After special counsel questioning on July 17, the drone commander explained that 'it was impossible to document everything accurately about the classified military operation,' adding that the issue arose from 'administrative shortcomings.'
Investigators are now examining whether former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun also played a role in influencing the drone unit's actions.
They are also looking into whether Kim carried out an unauthorized drone operation over Pyongyang in October 2024 at Yoon's direction, aimed at provoking North Korea and justifying a martial law declaration.
Another special counsel team — led by Lee Myeong-hyeon and tasked with revisiting the death of Cpl. Chae Su-geun — has submitted its first arrest warrant request to the Seoul Central District Court.
The team is seeking to detain former Marine Corps Commandant Lt. Gen. Kim Kye-hwan on charges of instigating malicious perjury and violating the Act on Testimony and Appraisal before the National Assembly.
Kim has been identified as the person who allegedly told Col. Park Jeong-hoon — the Marine investigator initially in charge of Chae's case — that Yoon was furious after seeing the first investigation report.
Since Park publicly made that claim in 2023, Kim has consistently denied ever relaying such a message. Kim has maintained his position in multiple testimonies before the National Assembly and military court, accusing Park of damaging the Marine Corps' legacy due to what he called 'hero syndrome.'
Despite the special counsel team securing testimonies from others who said Yoon had expressed his anger during meetings with military officials, Kim reportedly continued to deny the allegation in recent rounds of questioning.
Then-Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup also submitted a written statement to the special counsel, as disclosed Monday, testifying that he received a call from Yoon on July 31, 2023.
Though Lee was set to transfer Marine Corps investigation records to police, he reportedly received a call from the number "800-7070" and decided not only to suspend a press briefing, but also to hold off on transferring the case. It was revealed that the phone number was used by the presidential office.
Having previously refused to comment on the identity of the caller, Lee admitted nearly two years later that it was Yoon on the other side, seeking to clarify that the then-president did not express anger or try to interfere with the investigation, but only shared his concerns.
Lee has been identified as a co-conspirator on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of the exercise of rights in the search and seizure warrant executed against him.